Category Archive: Analysis

Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images The Orlando Magic’s starting lineup is a typical blend of NBA player archetypes. Scorers, defenders, veterans, youngsters, and leaders — this is a group that makes utmost basketball sense on paper, especially considering the litany of options Jacque Vaughn has at his disposal coming off the bench. Any …

Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images About two days after the NBA season started, an old friend called me and asked how Arron Afflalo was going to do this season. He had just picked him up in his fantasy draft. I simply laughed in response. But look who’s laughing now. Nine games into the …

While Victor Oladipo hasn’t massively burst onto the scene like fellow rookie Michael Carter-Williams, he’s put together a very solid start to the season. He’s scored well, showcased nice vision at times, and, most importantly, been relentless attacking the rim. His defense has been as good as advertised, too. The one rub on what seems …

Source: ShamSports.com With all kinds of new harsh taxes and roster building limitations based on how a team spends its money, salary cap management is becoming ever more important. This isn’t an issue for the Orlando Magic yet, as they’re largely stocked with young guys still on cheap deals that are preset. But there are …

AP Photo/Eric Gay When I covered high school sports and had to interview a coach of a young team that just got blown out of the water, there was one phrase that I heard more than any other. “The guys are learning. They are getting better.” As obnoxious and coach-speaky as it may seem, there’s …

Photo by Fernando Medina/Orlando Magic Tracy McGrady’s career contains a plethora of “what ifs.” What if he just stayed in Toronto? What if Grant Hill’s ankle wasn’t mangled? What if Tim Duncan came to Orlando instead of Hill? What if Yao Ming stayed healthy? And, of course, what if McGrady made it past the first …

Although the team has not always executed — the Orlando Magic rank 27th in offensive efficiency — the system that rookie head coach Jacque Vaughn has put into place is exciting as a concept. He’s used a ton of off-ball movement all season. The primary shooter in those sets was J.J. Redick, but as we …

Photos by D. Clarke Evans/NBAE via Getty Images One of the bright spots during a post-Dwight Howard rebuilding season, in which the Orlando Magic have lost 59 of their first 76 games, is the play of rookie small forward Maurice Harkless. He was one of the players brought over from Philadelphia in the three-team mega-trade …

The haul the Orlando Magic got in the J.J. Redick trade from the Milwaukee Bucks at the deadline, which brought in Tobias Harris, Beno Udrih, and Doron Lamb, is looking better and better by the game, highlighted by the strong play of Harris. After being buried on the bench in Milwaukee, he’s finally getting meaningful minutes in …